Terrible oil filters for Mini N1x engines

[Seventh]

Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
Originally Posted By: Seventh
Sort of. It does have a sleeve at the bottom. Sort of like the W11 in your pic here but maybe one inch or so tall. The filter doesn't fit on it tightly. On the cap side, the filter just sort of snaps into it, on a little plastic "claw" that is integrated into the cap. That is how you align it, by snapping the filter into the cap and screwing it in.


Wow, I just learned a lot about all the variations in cartridge housings out there! On my old BMW 2008 530i, it was different.

Looks like dirty-to-clean direct leakage can't occur on the snap-in claw cap end, since it just stays snug.
On the other end, the ~1 inch sleeve on the other end may seal good enough, even if not super tight, since it should create a very small path for hot oil to leak through, of course talking about with the shorty (by 1 mm) Chinese oil filters.

If a plastic cage is there, sometimes that acts to align to the housing, and seal the first 2 mm to compensate for short filters.


Expanding further, if you look at the filters in my original post, they have sort of a sealing lip on the ends around the inner openings, which is responsible for sealing the filter dirty/clean sides. That would make the size of the filter critical, since it would be relying on a compression fit for sealing purposes.

Perhaps that is the reason for the zig zag pattern of the filter media, so it can be squished a little bit without being deformed?

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: Seventh

Expanding further, if you look at the filters in my original post, they have sort of a sealing lip on the ends around the inner openings, which is responsible for sealing the filter dirty/clean sides. That would make the size of the filter critical, since it would be relying on a compression fit for sealing purposes.

Perhaps that is the reason for the zig zag pattern of the filter media, so it can be squished a little bit without being deformed?

That zig zag is pretty trick, since nobody else bothers to do it. Does allow some squash, and also increases area. Squash may occur as the raised OUTER lip, on the outer circumference, contacts the cap & housing, both ends.

If you look at the raised OUTER top circular edge on the Purflux, that accounts for the diff in height between Purflux and Cheapo here. Therefore, the Cheapo filter really has the correct height. .. I'm just now seeing that. ... What that means is that both filters have the same height at the inner tube part of it.

 

[oil_film_movies]

The Cheapo filter people couldn't put an outer raised lip on theirs like the Purflux has, since they don't use a squashable zig-zag pattern.

Cheapo Filter Inc. relies on the inner lip ONLY sealing, and I think it would seal good enough. If it was slightly, very slightly, open enough to allow a small amount of flow, that wouldn't matter much (as long as it was ultra-tiny flow anyway).

Those metal flakes have me puzzled too. Maybe somebody above who said the Purflux had the metal flakes embedding in the softer, more convoluted media, would account for not seeing them in the Purflux Minis.


Originally Posted By: DdDd
Yes the bmw filter is nice. No to their rolled copper washer which sealed worse than a proper one. Always had drips using the rolled.

BMW Mann-Hummel OEM oil filter cartridges always included copper washers, and I always thought they worked very well. They crushed down a bit, didn't need much, and snugged themselves, forming a good seal. Sometimes I do coat the washer with silicon goo though to make sure a seal is made. Cheating I admit.

 

[Seventh]

Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
The Cheapo filter people couldn't put an outer raised lip on theirs like the Purflux has, since they don't use a squashable zig-zag pattern.

Cheapo Filter Inc. relies on the inner lip ONLY sealing, and I think it would seal good enough. If it was slightly, very slightly, open enough to allow a small amount of flow, that wouldn't matter much (as long as it was ultra-tiny flow anyway).

Those metal flakes have me puzzled too. Maybe somebody above who said the Purflux had the metal flakes embedding in the softer, more convoluted media, would account for not seeing them in the Purflux Minis.


Originally Posted By: DdDd
Yes the bmw filter is nice. No to their rolled copper washer which sealed worse than a proper one. Always had drips using the rolled.

BMW Mann-Hummel OEM oil filter cartridges always included copper washers, and I always thought they worked very well. They crushed down a bit, didn't need much, and snugged themselves, forming a good seal. Sometimes I do coat the washer with silicon goo though to make sure a seal is made. Cheating I admit.


I'll snap a pic of the inside of a housing next time I have a filter out. I don't remember there being a sealing surface around the outer diameter. Perhaps there is.

If we were talking about BMW cars I agree on the normal copper washer being good. The drain plug is only half the size of the mini n series. It looks like a normal bolt where the hex head portion is twice the size as the threaded portion. Makes for good mechanical advantage when crushing the washer.

The threaded portion on these n series minis is twice as large as a BMW style, and has only an 8mm female hex to work with. The mechanical advantage isn't there. The torque for the drain is 30n/m, which is why you get the really squishy rolled copper gasket that is impregnated with silicone.

In order to get any kind of "crush" on a normal copper washer you have to almost triple the torque spec. I normally use a regular old 6-7" 3/8 ratchet with an 8mm Allen socket to crack the plug loose. When I have to grab my half inch breaker bar to get the plug to crack loose I always find one of the solid washers.

Fwiw the new generation of Mini engines are all bmw, and have the traditional style bmw drain plug

 

[DdDd]

Had the timing chain fail on normally aspirated. The chain tensioner loses pressure which eats the chain fairly quickly. By the time you hear the slapping it's too late.

These issues should have been handled as recalls but BMW is so incredibly cheap as a company you have to class action them into it.

Sure fun to drive but their reliability has gotten shoddier than a Chrysler. And I say that directly comparing to a Jeep of all things. Why they push leasing, with all maintenance included.

 

[Ducked]

Perhaps this is an association-not-causation thing.

i.e. People with less-than-anal-attitudes to maintenance tend to go to places where they put Chinese filters on.

i.e. Its perhaps not the filters, but the less-than-anal maintenance, which these cars are too fragile to withstand.

 

[DdDd]

Agreed. Also BMW specced a 16,000 mile oil interval on a brand new engine design that wound up being an oil burner.

They later changed the recommendation to 10k miles but even at that you'll be several quarts low!